Florida Open Carry Measure Moves Forward

The time when Florida Right-to-Carry permit holders can begin openly carrying their firearms might be quickly approaching.

On Thursday, a bill deregulating open carry of handguns passed its final House committee, and now moves to the full House of Representatives. “There are bad people in this world and those bad people are going to commit a crime whether we like it or not,” Republican state Rep. Matt Hudson told the Sun Sentinel.

In the Senate, a similar bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Comedian Goes Undercover To Slip Through The “Gun Show Loophole”

In the latest video in the series “Louder With Crowder,” comedian Steven Crowder tests the pronouncements of politicians and media personalities who claim it’s easy to buy a fully automatic weapon at a gun show without a background check. An undercover camera tracks Crowder prowling gun shows, retailers and pawn shops in an attempt to buy a machine gun.

Failing miserably, he switches tactics and tries to buy a semi-automatic in any venue—but without a background check. At one point, he implores a gun store employee to “use the gun show loophole.”

In between news clips of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Michael Bloomberg and others decrying how easy it is to buy automatic weapons (CNN’s Don Lemon even falsely claimed to have done it), Crowder’s failures make for hilarious fare. Seemingly exasperated, he tells a gun show vendor, “I was told by the president that I could go here …”

Iowa Gun Sales, Carry Permits Rising

In the wake of high-profile terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and with President Obama unilaterally imposing new gun controls, Iowa is seeing a dramatic increase in gun sales, carry permit issuance and demand for firearms training, the Des Moines Registerreports.

Last year, FBI background checks for firearms purchasers in Iowa peaked in December, with 25,941 checks conducted that month alone, and firearms retailers report year-to-year sales increases of 25 to 30 percent. In 2015, Iowa issued 101,518 carry permits—about double its annual average—and this year demand for permits, both new and renewals, is leading to backlogs. Firearms training facilities, meanwhile, have waiting lists extending into March.

So it makes perfect sense that with the Iowa caucuses scheduled for Monday, Hillary Clinton’s campaign is apparently trying to hide her extreme anti-gun positions in Iowa advertisements, while proclaiming those same positions in ads running in the Northeast.

Senate Dems Afraid Bloomberg Run Could Mean GOP Victory

While the former NYC mayor hasn’t officially thrown his hat into the ring, some Senate Democrats are already worried about the possible effects of a Michael Bloomberg candidacy. While it’s uncertain he could give Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton or party rival Bernie Sanders any real competition, his Independent run could split the Democratic vote, effectively handing the race to the GOP.

It’s happened before: Ross Perot received 19 percent of the popular vote in 1992—mainly from voters who otherwise would have voted for GOP incumbent President Bush—resulting in a Bill Clinton presidency. Similarly, a Reuters poll shows a Bloomberg run could reduce Hillary’s lead over GOP front-runner Donald Trump from 10 points to 6, and a Morning Consult poll found that he could garner 12 percent of the vote in a race between Sanders and Trump.

It remains to be seen whether Bloomie will jump into the race. We’ll keep you posted.

Connecticut Lawmakers Ask Grocers To Ban Open Carry

“There is simply no reason someone would need to bring their gun with them in order to purchase milk, bread or other necessities at a grocery store.” That statement is further indication that the anti-gunners in Congress just don’t get it—it’s as if they’ve never heard of anyone being attacked in parking lots or grocery stores. (Spoiler alert: It happens. We even documented a few cases.)

Notoriously gun-control-happy Democrat Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, joined by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, have asked the Connecticut Food Association to implement a self-imposed ban on open carry in the state’s 300 retail stores. Despite Connecticut law, which allows for those with permits for handguns to carry them openly in supermarkets and other public establishments, these lawmakers are asking food stores to simply forget the law. It’s very reminiscent of their own selective memory, which conveniently allows them to “forget” certain parts of the U.S. Constitution.

Armed Citizen Saves Law Enforcement Officer

You won’t see it on the network news tonight, or likely any other night, but an armed citizen has saved another life—this time that of a sheriff’s deputy.

On Jan. 16, as Bastrop County, Texas, deputy Dylan Dorris was responding to a disturbance call, he was jumped on and pummeled by an attacker. When Marine veteran and concealed-carry permit holder Scott Perkins saw what was happening, he drew his handgun and ordered the attacker to “Freeze!” ending the attack. “I’m alive today because of him,” the deputy said later. “There are no words to explain it. He’s such an outstanding citizen. He’s here for our country, our community, and you really feel the love.”

Bastrop County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sissy Jones echoed those sentiments. “I think it’s important to note, with the uproar that we have on gun laws, that had Mr. Perkins not had his concealed gun on him, that suspect would have likely not paid attention to him,” Jones said. “This is a situation where being a license to carry holder truly did save a life.”